Ejection selector for hinged firearms

ABSTRACT

An ejection selector for hinged firearms allows the ejection mechanism of the weapon to be put in or out of operation at will when the firearm is broken by using a divided ejector controlling pushrod that can be shortened or lengthened by a manual adjusting mechanism.

United States Patent Vervier 1 51 May 13, 1975 EJECTION SELECTOR FORHINGED FIREARMS [75] Inventor: Ernest Henri Vervier, Oupeve,

Belgium [73] Assignee: Fabrique Nationale Herstal S.A.,

Herstal-lez-Liege, Belgium [22] Filed: June 12, 1973 I [21] Appl. No.:369,291

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July ll, 1972 Belgium 52037 [52]US. Cl. 42/47 [51] Int. Cl. F4lc 15/04 [58] Field of Search 42/47, 48,46

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 538,810 5/1895 Thorn et al.42/48 754,598 3/1904 Novotny 42/47 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATlONS15,605 7/l9l2 United Kingdom 42/47 Primary ExaminerBenjamin A. BorcheltAssistant Examiner-C. T. Jordan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Bacon andThomas [57] ABSTRACT An ejection selector for hinged firearms allows theejection mechanism of the weapon to be put in or out of operation atwill when the firearm is broken by using a divided ejector controllingpushrod that can be shortened orlengthened by a manual adjustingmechamsm.

4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures EJECTION SELECTOR FOR I-IINGED FIREARMS Thepresent invention is concerned with an ejection selector for hingedfirearm weapons of the type in which the ejector is operated whenbreaking open the weapon by means of, amongst others, at least one rodextending through the action. It is known that many users of such armsfrequently reload the cartridges themselves, a same shell often beingused several times. With the current type of ejector guns, the ejectedshells must be individually picked up from the ground after each shotafter the gun is broken, which is a nuisance.

The purpose of the invention is to eliminate such inconvenience.Accordingly, a selection device is proposed which permits putting theejection mechanism into or out of operation, and such in a very simpleand convenient manner.

The device according to this invention is mainly characterized by thefact that the aforesaid ejection operating is made up of two mutuallyaligned parts, the total length of both parts just being insufficient toallow the rod to operate the ejector, with the actual selectorconsisting of a mobile element provided so as to be able, at will, tomove the two parts away from each other, thus bringing up the totallength of the rod to the required value for operating the ejectormechanism.

The invention is hereinafter described in greater detail with referenceto the appended drawings which illustrate a form of preferred embodimentwhich is described as an example and not intended to limit the inventionbeyond the scope of the appended claims.

In these drawings:

FIG. 1 is a stripped view of a weapon equipped with a device accordingto the invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the selector devicce accordingto the invention, as applied to the weapon of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows the broken up weapon, after ejection;

FIG. 4 is a detail view of detail F4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a similar view to that of FIG. 3, without ejection, and

FIG. 6 is a detail view of detail F6 of FIG. 5.

In hinged firearms, the ejection of the fired shells is usually operatedin one of two manners, i.e. either by means of a hammer or cock whichstrikes the shell puller or extractor, or by means of a spring whichacts directly upon the shell extractor. The mechanism shown in thedrawings is of the former type, the invention being however alsoapplicable to mechanisms of the other type.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 5, the conventional ejection system comprisesthe following elements.

One cartridge pulling assembly per barrel, this assembly consisting ofone extractor-ejector l and one slide 2 fitted to the barrels; oneejection cock 5 and spring 6 fitted upon the fore-end iron 7; anejection trigger control means 8 with its spring 9 also fitted on theforeend iron 7; and an ejection control pushrod l0 traversing the actionframe 11 and in contact with a beveled pin 12 of striker cock 13 so thatrod is pushed forward when striking cock 13 is released.

This well known mechanism is no part of the present invention, andconsequently no detailed description of its operation is given. It willbe sufficient to note that when breaking-up the gun, slide 2 is firstslightly displaced by its contact with a stop (not shown) of the action,so as to assure the extraction of the shell; next, striking cock 13having been brought back to its cocked position, does not move pushrod10 backwards due to lost motion between pin 12 and pushrod 10 because ofthe slot 12a in which pin 12 rides. Rod 10 stays forward therefore asshown in FIG. 3; finally, towards the end of the opening movement,trigger 8 will strike the end 14 of aforesaid rod 10, thus rotating andfreeing ejection cock 5 which pushes back slide 2 and extractor 1 (FIG.3).

The invention consists in:

This invention comprises fabricating the rod 10 in at least two mutuallyaligned parts or pieces 15 and 16, respectively, the total length ofwhich, when the parts are juxtaposed, is just insufficient to extend end14 into the path of the ejection trigger control means 8 when thefirearm is broken and furthermore interposing between the two parts ofthe pushrod l5 and 16 a movable element 17, the selective displacementof which betweenn two positions ensures the spreading of parts 15 and 16in such a manner that the end 14 of the pushrod is brought into the pathof trigger 8 when ejection is desired, or when the element 17 is in itsother position, the overall length of pushrod 10 is insufficient toengage trigger 8 when the firearm is broken.

In the example shown (see FIG. 2), aforesaid mobile element is made inthe shape of a wedge 17 provided with a tail piece 18 which is insertedin a bore 19 of oscillating block 20 which pivots on the action framearound pivot screw 21. Block 20 is shaped so as to have two control tabs22 and 23, both intended, according to circumstances, to protrudeslightly from corresponding side surfaces of the hinge piece, accordingto the angular position of block 20. This block is maintained in eitherof its two positions by a detent 24 subjected to the pressure of spring25 and guided in an appropriate bore in hinge piece 11. Alternatively,tabs 22 and 23 may also be located within the action frame, so as to beaccessible after the gun has been opened.

For a reason explained later on, wedge 17 may move axially with respectto block 20 between two extreme positions determined on the one hand byone surface of aforesaid block, and on the other hand by a pin 26, whichis driven into aforesaid body 20.

As already shown, rod 10 is made up of two parts 15 and 16, betweenwhich wedge 17 is insertable. According to the position of block 20,wedge 17 is either fully engaged between both parts 15 and 16 (FIG. 4),or merely engaged with its summit or tip (FIG. 6).

In the first position, the total length of rod 10 reaches a value whichis such, that when the gun is opened, and in consequence of the pushingback of the rod due to the action of pin 12 upon the latter, extremity14 of said rod, or respectively of part 15 of the latter, locates on thepath of trigger 8, at the end of the opening operation of the gun. Theejection is then assured in the same manner as with the conventionalmechanism, since the length of rod 10 when parts 15 and 16 are separatedby wedge 17 is sufficient to enable the actuation of pushrod l0sufficiently by the action of pin 12 and cock 13 to project end 14thereof into the path of ejector trigger 8 when the gun is broken.

In the second position, the total length of rod 10 is not sufficient,and extremity 14 does not reach the path of aforesaid trigger 8.Consequently no ejection occurs.

In order to prevent part 15 of rod 10 unduly moving about, it isprovided with a thinner undercut portion 27 which acts like a spring,and upon which sufficient frictional pressure is exerted by means ofscrew 28, the latter also acting as a stop for part when the gun isbeing disassembled.

As the entire assembly of rod 10 is moved axially over a small distancewhen opening and closing the gun, it is essential to provide acorresponding mobility for wedge 17. This is assured as described above,by the sliding of aforesaid tail piece 18 in its bore 19.

It is quite obvious that the present invention according can be embodiedin many ways, the abovedescribed example merely being given as anexample. In fact, mobile element 17 may be placed at any appropriatelocation of the action. They may be designed so as to be brought intoone or other of their two positions by a rotary movement instead of by atranslatory motion as described above, or by a combination of these twomovements. They could moreover also be controlled individually.

What I claim is:

1. In a hinged firearm having a hinge action, an ejector normallyoperable when the firearm is broken, an ejector control means, anejector pushrod traversing the firearm hinge action and normallyengaging the ejector control means when the firearm is broken, and anactuator for said pushrod; the improvement comprising an ejector pushrodformed at least in two pieces, the total length of said pieces whenjuxtaposed end to end being such that said pushrod is incapabble ofengaging said ejector control means when said pushrod is axiallydisplaced by said actuator when the forearm is broken; and a movableejector selector means for selectively positively spreading said pushrodpieces apart for extending the effective length of said pushrodsufficiently to enable said pushrod to engage said ejector control meanswhen the pushrod is axially displaced by said actuator when the firearmis broken.

2. The improvement in a hinged firearm as recited in claim 1, saidfirearm further having an action frame, and wherein said movable ejectorselector means includes a wedge-shaped element supported on the actionframe by means of a pivoted block, said block and wedge element beingmovable into either of two manually selectable positions for determiningejection control of said firearm, said wedge element in one of saidpositions only partially engaging said pushrod between said piecesthereof, and substantially totally engaging said pushrod between saidpieces in its other position, the effective length of said pushrod beinggreater when said wedge element is in said other position than when saidwedge element is in said one position for enabling the said pushrod toengage said ejector control means when said pushrod is at its greatereffective length.

3. The improvement in a hinged firearm as recited in claim 2, whereinsaid wedge-shaped element is slidably supported on said pivoted blockwhereby movement of said wedge element over a predetermined distanceparallel to the longitudinal axis of said pushrod is enabled.

4. The improvement in a hinged firearm as recited in claim 3, whereinsaid pushrod further includes an undercut, resilient portion betweensaid wedge element and said ejector control means, and adjustablefrictional restraining means contacting said undercut portion forrestraining undesired free movement of said pushrod.

1. In a hinged firearm having a hinge action, an ejector normallyoperable when the firearm is broken, an ejector control means, anejector pushrod traversing the firearm hinge action and normallyengaging the ejector control means when the firearm is broken, and anactuator for said pushrod; the improvement comprising an ejector pushrodformed at least in two pieces, the total length of said pieces whenjuxtaposed end to end being such that said pushrod is incapabble ofengaging said ejector control means when said pushrod is axiallydisplaced by said actuator when the forearm is broken; and a movableejector selector means for selectively positively spreading said pushrodpieces apart for extending the effective length of said pushrodsufficiently to enable said pushrod to engage said ejector control meanswhen the pushrod is axially displaced by said actuator when the firearmis broken.
 2. The improvement in a hinged firearm as recited in claim 1,said firearm further having an action frame, and wherein said movableejector selector means includes a wedge-shaped element supported on theaction frame by means of a pivoted block, said block and wedge elementbeing movable into either of two manually selectable positions fordetermining ejection control of said firearm, said wedge element in oneof said positions only partially engaging said pushrod between saidpieces thereof, and substantially totally engaging said pushrod betweensaid pieces in its other position, the effective length of said pushrodbeing greater when said wedge element is in said other position thanwhen said wedge element is in said one position for enabling the saidpushrod to engage said ejector control means when said pushrod is at itsgreater effective length.
 3. The improvement in a hinged firearm asrecited in claim 2, wherein said wedge-shaped element is slidablysupported on said pivoted block whereby movement of said wedge elementover a predetermined distance parallel to the longitudinal axis of saidpushrod is enabled.
 4. The improvement in a hinged firearm as recited inclaim 3, wherein said pushrod further includes an undercut, resilientportion between said wedge element and said ejector control means, andadjustable frictional restraining means contacting said undercut portionfor restraining undesired free movement of said pushrod.